October 20, 2011 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Dick Holden passed away in Sioux City on October 16, 2011. He worked for a time at the Sioux City Country Club and later at Concrete Pipe Machinery. Dick was a machinist at Inter-Bake Foods from August 1975 until his retirement in October 1998. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 554, was an avid fisherman, and enjoyed camping.

Dick is survived by his wife, Jeanne, three sons, stepchildren, and much extended family. He will be remembered as the guy who could build or fix anything.

September 23, 2011 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Tom Kellen passed away September 20, 2011, at his home in Palm Bay, FL, after a brief illness. He had worked for various employers, including Swift & Co., Carnation, Roberts Dairy, Floyd Valley Pack, City of Sioux City, ADT Security and Macy's, receiving many awards along the way. He is probably best remembered for his quick wit and humor, but his deep passion for more than 31 years was to help people obtain and maintain sobriety.

Survivors include his wife Jeannette, two sons, a daughter, two stepsons, eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and six siblings.

July 26, 2011 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Mike Culbertson died July 22, 2011, in Des Moines. He worked in sales and support for FIMCO in Sioux City for 33 years and retired in 2003. He then moved to Carlisle IA five years later.

Mike enjoyed bowling, golfing and was very interested in trains. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou, nine children, 22 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

June 30, 2011 (from Jim Pearson) -- Ken VanMeter passed away on June 24th from COPD. Ken joined the Navy after graduation and was an Electrician's Mate aboard the USS Ranger CVA 64. After leaving the service, he worked for AT&T in Aurora CO for 38 years, retiring to Nocona TX in 2001.

Ora Ann, his wife of 47 years, writes, "Ken always referred to Central as 'The Castle on the Hill' and Sioux City as 'Little Maroon Country'. Thanks For The Memories that you gave him and the friends he leaves behind."

June 22, 2011 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Larry Allan Bryce passed away in Sioux City on June 15, 2011. He had attended NBT College, received a degree in accounting, worked at Zenith Corporation, Knapp & Spencer, and the Sioux City Journal for the last 17 years prior to his retirement in December of 2004 due to ill health.

An avid bowler and sometime golfer earlier in life, he later became a voracious reader and serious TV sports fan. He will be remembered as the practical joker of the family. Larry is survived by his wife, DeEtte, a son and daughter, five grandchildren, and siblings Bill, Richard, Sandi, and Shirlee.

March 1, 2011 (from Shirley Dirks Figge, Class of '61) -- Betty Dirks Williams, Council Bluffs, IA, lost her bout with cancer on July 14, 2001. She had been listed among the "Missing" in our 50th Reunion booklet.

February 11, 2011 -- Mary Dilley King, who was one of our loyal reunion committee workers decade after decade, passed away February 10th. She had been in the hospital suffering from heart failure, then home, under the care of her family and Hospice. Her husband Les tells us that she was at peace. We also know that she was extremely grateful to have seen everyone at the reunion last August.

To see the full S.C. Journal obituary, CLICK HERE.

December 21, 2010 (from the Omaha World-Herald) -- Larry Moss passed away following a long battle with cancer on December 18, 2010. After serving 3 years in the Army, he worked in the insurance business in Omaha, and was a long-time sports official for high school and college sports in the area.

Larry loved sports, animals, and days on the lake in his boat with his dog Flag. He had an active social life and was a fixture around town, as well as an irreverent story-teller who had a one-of-a-kind sense of humor. In spite of his illness, he was able to attend our 50th reunion in August.

Larry is survived by two sons, his sister Carol Kasperbauer, and his mother. He was a good friend to many and will be missed.

October 18, 2010 -- John Haviland, who founded and maintained CastleWeb for many, many years, passed away Friday evening, October 15th, following surgery earlier in the week. For further details, please see the Sioux City Journal obituary.

John's help in finding missing classmates and planning future reunion activities will be greatly missed!

August 2, 2010 -- Diana Crabb Buddi of our reunion committee reports that Nancy Nailor Hendrickson died September 13, 2007, at Parkview Care Center in Sac City, IA, following a lengthy illness.

June 30, 2010 -- It has been reported to the Reunion committee that Sue Ann Ryan passed away July 19, 2009, in Albuquerque NM. If anyone has particulars to post here, please pass them along to Sheryl B.

March 24, 2010 -- As we have been trying to find our missing classmates for the upcoming reunion, a number of people have helped. Thanks to a super lady named Pat Gilley, we now have many more addresses and more death notices. Her search of the Social Security Death Index has revealed the names of three more classmates who have passed on:

• Mary A. (Dye) Bruns: DOD 8-2-03 in Corning IA
• Linda J. (Osborn) Kahler: DOD 1-1-92
• Virgil R. White: DOD 7-13-99 in Fredricksburg IA

February 13, 2010 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Beverly Walker Anderson, of Owatonna MN, passed away February 12, 2010, at her home after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Raised in Sioux City, Bev was the oldest of nine children. She had lived in Iowa; Colorado; Texas; Ankara, Turkey; Wiesbaden, Germany; and Minnesota. Beverly was a successful real estate broker in both Texas and Colorado prior to taking ill.

Bev is survived by her husband, Donald G. Anderson; daughter, Jeannie Lynn Trudell of Littleton, Colo.; son, Thomas George Paisley, Jr. of Denver, Colo.; a grandson and great-granddaughter, plus her mother, Doris Walker of Sioux City, and seven siblings.

February 7, 2010 -- It has been reported to the Reunion committee that Nancy Grenier Johnson passed away sometime in 2007 or 2008. If anyone has particulars to post here, please pass them along to Sheryl B.

October 22, 2009 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Joe Fisher passed away suddenly October 21, 2009, at a Sioux City hospital. After receiving his degree from Morningside College, he started his career in sales with his own garden center. He then worked for Flowers by Fisher and Fisher Wholesale Plants. He was employed locally for 30 years with M.C.I., then Dennex, and Armadillo Rail Crew Express at the time of his death.

Joe loved animals, airplanes, writing lyrics and talking politics. He is survived by his wife, Linda; two sons, Capt. Neal J. Fisher and his wife of Fort Riley, Kansas, and Kyle J. Fisher of Sioux City. His brother Frank preceded him in death.

September 4, 2009 (from CastleWeb) -- John Morrison died August 28, 2009, at his home in Iowa City, after a short illness. John attended Iowa Central Community College and the University of Iowa. He served in the U. S. Marine Corps from 1960 – 1964. John was a member of Stagehand’s Local Union 690, where he worked productions in Iowa City, Chicago, Des Moines and the Quad Cities. He retired at the end of 2005.

John loved garage sales and was always on the lookout for a bargain. He was a collector of strange and unusual facts, which he was always willing to share. He was an avid story teller, rode RAGBRAI in its early years, and traveled the Big MACC canoe trip down the Mississippi River. Surviving him are his wife, Meg Baron, three stepchildren, and his brother, Tom Morrison of Fort Dodge.

May 5, 2009 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Gary R. Hof died April 29, 2009, at his Carbondale, Ilinois, residence after a battle with multiple myeloma. Memorial services were held May 2nd in Carbondale.

Gary enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1961 and served proudly in submarine service and later in recruit training. He retired in 1983 as a master chief. He loved playing fast pitch softball and golf. Survivors include his wife, two sons and two daughters, his father Wilbur and brother Galen of Sioux City, two sisters, Jane Brubaker and Milly McCullough, both in Colorado, and five grandchildren.

February 6, 2009 -- Rhoda Lynn (Homeyer) Nicholson wrote in response to our "Missing" list: 'My Auntie was Elfrieda (Homeyer) McWilliams. My Auntie Frieda passed away many many years ago of cancer. I found your website trying to look up information about my Uncle John and Auntie Frieda from when they lived in Battle Creek Michigan in the 70's.'

December 30, 2008 -- John Nye passed away December 25, 2008, in Sparks, Nevada. He was employed by the Nevada Department of Prisons and retired from the Nevada Department of Taxation as a Revenue Officer, with 20 years of state service. He and his wife, Carol, later started a successful retirement business. Surviving him are his wife, seven children, 13 grandchildren & 3 great grandchildren.

April 28, 2008 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Carolyn DeHaan Hunt, 67, of Sioux City, passed away April 25, 2008, at her residence, following a lengthy fight with cancer. She grew up in Riverside, and was a member of our class before leaving school prior to graduation. She was a board member for Siouxland Community Health Center, and worked for the Senior Companion Program and Oakleaf Management. Her family of five children and 11 grandchildren say she loved to play pool and was very good at it.

April 4, 2007 -- Following up on a lead from the Spirit Lake Dickinson Co. News, Neil Hyink, with the help of John Haviland, has discovered that Roger Wiley died December 5, 2004. He was living in Eureka, California, at the time. In September of 2002, Keith Krommenhoek had visited Roger in Spirit Lake, where he was working the sports desk of the newspaper. He said he had lived in New York for 7 years and California for some 25, and was planning to return there. His Spirit Lake house was sold in 2003; apparently he left Iowa at that time.

April 2, 2007 (from the Quad-City Times) -- Lynda Brown Cronkleton, 64, of Davenport, IA, died March 28, 2007, at the Bettendorf Hospice House, after a long battle with cancer. Services were held in Davenport on March 31st. Memorials may be sent to the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House or the Dean R. O'Neill Renal Cell Cancer Research Fund.

Lynda retired from the working world of community health care in 2005, but stayed active in her church, the Red Hat Society and the Eagles Lodge. She also enjoyed arts and crafts, gardening, and her grandchildren. Survivors include a daughter and son, three stepchildren, four grandchildren, her brother, Larry Brown of Lincoln, NE, and sisters, Susan Harlan of Jackson, MO, and Dee Arnold, of Webster City, IA.

March 26, 2007 -- Delano Skaff reported to Neil Hyink that Ray Marmo passed away approximately 20 years ago. He lived in Aurora IL the last we knew. Our reunion committee mail to him was never returned to us, so we were unaware of his passing.

December 30, 2006 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Coach Wally Piper died December 28th, at age 77, in East Lansing, Michigan, where he had moved in 1972. After earning his doctorate in 1974, he worked in the student affairs office at Michigan State University. In 1981 he became the executive director of the Michigan School of Business Officials, a position he held until his retirement in 1997. That year he was inducted into the Michigan Education Hall of Fame. This capped a 46-year career in which he dedicated himself to public education as a teacher, athletic coach and administrator. He is survived by his wife Fran, three daughters, 8 grandchildren, and his brother Gary.

December 28, 2006 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Ron Richou, who attended West Junior and one year at Central with us, died Christmas Eve after a battle with cancer. He had a 42-year career in the sheet metal business, owning and operating Richou Sheet Metal before retiring this past July. He loved the grandkids, collecting antiques, canoeing, and riding his Harley.

August 22, 2006 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Roger L. Atwood, 66, of Wildomar, California, died August 17, 2006, in Riverside, California. Services were held at Aletheia Christian Fellowship in Wildomar, followed by private graveside services in the National Cemetery, Riverside.

Roger was born in Sioux City on July 12, 1940; he graduated from CHS in the 1960 Midyear class with his brother Larry; he served in the U.S. Air Force & was stationed in California in 1960. Survivors include his wife, Marni Atwood; five daughters and one son; 15 grandchildren; sisters Donna & Nancy in Minnesota, and brothers Clair & Larry of Sioux City.

June 25, 2006 (from an astute Howard Wilshire, who picked up on this notice in the S.C. Journal, even though no mention was made of a "Castle" connection or graduation; he remembers Clifford from classes they shared and found his picture in our Junior class grouping in the '59 annual) -- Clifford "Butch" Norman of Sioux City died June 17, 2006, in Omaha. Memorial services were held June 23rd at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness in Sioux City, following cremation. Clifford was born January 24, 1941, and was self-employed as a painter, then as a stump digger. He had served in the military. He is survived by his mother, his daughter, several grandchildren, and an aunt & uncle.

February 21-22, 2006 (from Keith Krommenhoek & the Des Moines Register) -- Jim "Chris" Christenson, 63, passed away peacefully early February 20th at his West Des Moines home. He'd had health problems with lungs, heart, and circulation for a year. Memorial services were held at Hope Lutheran Church in West Des Moines, Iowa.

During the Vietnam War, Jim served in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Oklahoma City. He graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls in 1974. He retired from Bunzel Corp. after many years in sales. Jim loved his family (especially his granddaughter), golf, his classic cars & street rods, and he was an avid Hawkeye fan. He is survived by his wife, Kaye, their son, Lance & his wife, and his granddaughter, Carly Kaye Christenson, all of West Des Moines.

July 3, 2005 (from CastleWeb's John Haviland via George Thompson, Class of '58) -- Darlene Thatcher Soper died of ovarian cancer in January 1993.
(Editor's Note) Darlene had been on our "Missing" list for some time. Please check that page to see if you have any other updates for us.

May 11, 2005 (from Keith Krommenhoek) -- Coach Kermit (Ike) Isaacson passed away peacefully May 2nd in Orlando, Florida. He had put up a gallant fight to beat his cancer over the prior six months. He was cremated & taken back to California, with internment of the ashes at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma CA.

April 26, 2005 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries via Carol Tilton Trongaard) -- Joice (Budde) Fowler, of South Sioux City, passed away April 17, 2005, following a seven-year battle with cancer. Burial was in the Dakota City (Nebraska) Cemetery. Survivors include husband & business partner,Virgil; they owned & operated Tri-View Heating & Cooling in Sioux City for 33 years. Joice had left our class after our Junior year to marry her life-long love. Also surviving are brother Larry, sister Marlene, a son & two daughters, and all their families, including 7 grandchildren.

February 18, 2005 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Hazel A. Wauer, 101, a longtime resident of Sioux City, died Feb. 11, 2005, at Hiawatha Care Center in Hiawatha, Iowa. Services and burial were in Sioux City. She was a home economics teacher at Central High School from 1951 to 1968. Following retirement, she taught part-time at the Florence Crittenden Home, St. Joseph's School of Nursing and at Western Iowa Tech Community College. Survivors include son John of Cedar Rapids and daughter, Mary Wauer Tsiaperas of London, England, who was our classmate.

February 15, 2005 (from Dennis Levine via Neil Hyink) -- Our old friend Arnie "Elbows" Lefko passed away. He lost his long battle with throat cancer. Suffice it to say there was only one Elbows.
(from Las Vegas Sun News Obituaries) -- Arnold Edward Lefko, 63, of Las Vegas, died February 12, 2005. A resident for 10 years, he was a retired owner-operator of a paper goods company. He is survived by his wife, Rosalind, four daughters, one brother, Jeff Lefko of Chicago, and three grandchildren.

February 13, 2005 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Larry G. Taylor died February 12, 2005, in Salem, Oregon. He had moved there in 1967 and had worked in the sheet metal industry all his life. His sister Marlene Taylor Westergaard passed away in 2004. Survivors include his wife Melissa, a daughter, two sons, three grandsons, and brother-in-law Norman Westergaard of Sloan, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.

January 11, 2005 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Harold D. Monlux, 63, of Tulsa, OK, passed away January 6, 2005, after a nine year battle with Alzheimer's disease. After CHS, he attended Tulsa University & joined ROTC, graduating in 1964. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force & attended pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, OK, graduating in 1966.

Harold served with the 559th TAC Fighter Squadron, stationed in Cam Rahn, South Vietnam. He was shot down on 11/11/66 & was a POW in Hanoi for over six years. He was awarded the Silver Star, two Purple Heart Medals, the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Upon returning home, he was stationed in San Antonio, TX, attending a flight refresher course. He was then assigned to Fairchild Air Force Base Survival School in Spokane, as an instructor.

He moved his family back to Tulsa in 1975, where he served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1976 through 1980, while working as a realtor. He remained in the Air Force Reserves & served as a commander from August 1981 through December 1986, retiring as a full colonel after 20 years of service.

Harold is survived by a wife, daughter & 2 grandchildren, all of Tulsa, and family in Sioux City -- mother Margaret, brother Ray & family, and sister Marilyn.

July 25, 2004 (from Karen Hauge Jensen & Mike Herzoff) -- Anita (Cox) Murphy lost her long battle with breast cancer on July 24th. She leaves behind her husband of 43 years, Parnell Murphy, daughters Shaun & Shelly and their husbands, and son Chad and his fiancee, and four grandchildren. Anita was a gifted and talented artist, dedicated to friendship and devoted to others through charity work.

May 27, 2004 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Luie L. McMahan, 64, of Sioux City died Wednesday, May 26, 2004, following a brief illness. He was born May 5, 1940, in Sioux City, graduated from Central High School in (January) 1960 & from Western Iowa Tech Community College with a degree in apartment management. As a young man, he drove a logging truck in Washington & worked in apple orchards. Later, he raised & trained Greyhounds, traveling the Greyhound racing circuit. More recently, he managed several apartment complexes & was a paddock judge at Sodrac Park (in North Sioux City).
(Editor's Note) Luie had been on our "Missing" list for a long time, but his name in our yearbook was spelled "Louis (Louie) McMahon. It's too bad we never found him since he was here most of the time!

October 12, 2003 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Arlene L. (Pittman) Krommenhoek died unexpectedly Friday, October 10th, at a Sioux City hospital. Burial was in S.C. Memorial Park Cemetery. She will be greatly missed by her husband, Darrell, daughter Tracy, and two sons, Scott and Brad, and their families.
Note from Keith Krommenhoek -- Arlene's cause of death was a massive heart attack, an effect of the diabetes she had battled for years.

August 25, 2003 -- Posted by Keith Krommenhoek:
Doug Krommenhoek passed away peacefully August 23, 2003, in a San Diego, California, hospice house following a five year battle with a brain tumor & lung cancer. Burial was at Fort Snelling Cemetery in the Twin Cities with his first wife Karen. He is survived by his second wife Diane, son Todd, daughter Stacy, brothers Bill & Randy, and sister Joann.

July 10, 2003 -- Mary Hardy Gwaltney has reported two classmates' deaths to CastleWeb:
Jean Mathson Loring passed away November 7, 1998, in Seattle, Washington, from an aortic aneurysm. Her twin's address is shown in the "New Locates" on our "Directory" page.
Clifford Schultz passed away in December, 2001, from cancer; he had been living in Colorado.

December 5, 2001 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Donald D. Anfinson, 59, of Sioux City, died December 3, 2001, at his residence following a lengthy illness. He served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1963.
(Editor's Note) "Donnie" did not graduate with us, but was a classmate through most of our Central years.

August 31, 2001 -- Ron Fish was found brutally murdered in his home yesterday; a slain family of six in another area of town was also discovered about the same time. The alleged perpetrator has been arrested after an intensive manhunt by the SCPD. Sioux City has made the national news in light of a tragedy again!

Update: (September 26th) In a surprise move, and against the advise of his attorney, Adam Moss, age 24, a former employee of Ben Fish Tire Co., plead guilty yesterday to 7 counts of first degree murder in the slayings of Leticia Aguilar, her 5 children, and Ronald Fish, plus the theft of Fish's car. He was immediately sentenced to 7 consecutive terms of life imprisonment, plus 20 years, with no possibility of parole.
(Editor's Note) Information from an inside source indicates that someone close to the perpetrator convinced him to plead, thus sparing the community from the details of the grisly nature of the killings, which would have come out in a trial.

July 27, 2001 (from Marlene Elvik Beggin through CastleWeb) -- "I recently talked with Nina Bennett Bender, sister of Lester Bennett, who has been on the missing list. She informed me that he died in 1987 of cancer."

November 11, 2000 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Raymond Dean Wright, 58, of St. George, Kan., formerly of Sioux City, died Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2000. Military rites conducted by the Fort Riley Honor Guard.

August 22, 2000 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Robert L. "Bob" Echols, 58, of Pensacola FL, formerly of Sioux City, died August 19, 2000. He was retired from the U.S. Navy & served in Vietnam.

August 19, 2000 -- Notice from Marlene Elvik Beggin that Susan (Comstock) Koppas passed away recently.